Tomato Test Kitchen

Hand made pasta with Daniel Costa of Corso 32 and Christopher Hyde, Bar Bricco

Daniel on making pasta and other things culinary:

Italian food is all about simple ingredients with bold and direct flavours — you shouldn’t have to look for it.

I don’t agree that everything should be seasoned with salt and pepper. Sometimes it’s better to add the pepper later. But salt, always. Most people don’t season enough, or use enough oil.

Fresh cherry tomatoes make a nice tomato sauce but our tomatoes are usually not sweet enough, especially the seeds, which can make a sauce bitter.

I don’t like to freeze ricotta gnocchi but freeze the pasta after you have rolled it out. It’s better than drying it.

Add the finely grated cheese off the heat, otherwise it’ll clump.

Don’t oversauce the pasta.

Don’t rinse the pasta, you need the bit of starch to help your sauce stick.

Don’t skimp on the salt.

danielstirring_webDaniel Costa mixing ricotta filling for ravioli
Ravioli with butter and sage Ravioli with butter and sage
Nikki McGill and her sister Jodi share a laugh over pasta dough.Nikki McGill and her sister Jodi share a laugh over pasta dough
danielpastaroll_webDough after first pass
through the pasta machine
chrispasta1_webPlacing the ricotta filling
chrispasta1_webSealing the deal with the top sheet of pasta.

Recipes

All recipes courtesy Daniel Costa, corso 32

Shopping List

Italian Centre Shops:

  • D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes
  • Fresh basil
  • Fresh sage
  • Santa Lucia Ricotta
  • Caputo Tipo 00 flour
  • Segreto extra virgin olive oil
  • Butter

Sunworks Farm and U of A Heritage Egg Program:

  • Eggs

Wine

  • La Tordera Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
  • Ruggeri Gold Label Prosecco di Valdobbiadene
  • Runcata Soave Superiore
  • Cascina Adelaide Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba